EU looks to broaden use of .eu top-level domains

(BRUSSELS) - The European Parliament, Council and Commission reached a political agreement Wednesday on the revision of the Regulation concerning the .eu Internet top-level domain.

The new measures, proposed by the Commission in 2018 as part of its Digital Single Market strategy, simplify the existing legal framework on the .eu top-level domain.

Amongst other changes, they also enable European/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) citizens to register for a .eu domain also outside of the EU, regardless of their country of residence.

"The new rules on the .eu-top-level domain will enable us to cope more effectively with a fast-changing domain name market and will support better and more innovative services for EU citizens and businesses," said Commissioners Andrus Ansip and Mariya Gabriel.

"We are looking ahead to many more people and businesses using .eu to mark their European identity online in a way that exemplifies multilingualism, privacy protection, and security."

The rules include an improved governance structure for the domain and a modernised legal framework that will enable it to adapt to rapid market changes.

The .eu domain is currently managed by EURid, a private, independent, non-profit organisation that has operated the .eu under contract to the Commission since 2003.